5 ways to save money while shopping for groceries

Higher grocery prices have been a significant driver of inflation over the last two years on P.E.I., but there are ways of getting around the worst of it — with some careful shopping.

Inflation on food has not been even across the board. Some things are up a lot, some are up a little, and there are even a few things that are down.

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Statistics Canada keeps track of these changes in monthly reports looking at the average retail prices for certain products. Here's a look at what the numbers for P.E.I. show.

All these prices are for July of the year referenced.

Reconsider beef

Beef has seen some of the biggest price increases in the grocery store.

This is especially true of premium cuts. The price of strip loin has more than doubled since 2019, with a 47.3 per cent increase in the last year alone. Sirloin is up 36.8 per cent.

Even ground beef, that old economy-meal standby, is up 9.6 per cent in the last year.

Chicken parts — breasts, thighs and drumsticks — haven't risen as much.

Chicken breasts, while up just 1.6 per cent, are still a relatively expensive protein choice. But at $13.93 per kilogram, they're a far less costly treat than $20.66 for sirloin.

The five-year inflation rate on thighs is relatively high. But if you found them affordable last year, the inflation since then is only three per cent.

If you're looking for meat where inflation has had little impact, head over to the pork section of the cooler.

Pork shoulder is actually cheaper than it was in 2019, with the price down 10.9 per cent. Pork loin prices have hardly changed since then.

Pork prices per kilogram are still a little higher than for chicken parts, but less bone could make it better value.

Think fresh

When people think expensive groceries their minds often turn to fresh produce. But it is in the produce aisle that inflation has had the least impact.

Consider:

• Grapes: down 3.7 per cent.
• Cantaloupes: down 2.6 per cent.
• Avocados: down 10.1 per cent.
• Potatoes: down 23 per cent.

Paradoxically, most frozen produce listed in the report is up 8.6 per cent or more. Even more curiously, while fresh potatoes saw the biggest decrease on the list, frozen french fries saw one of the highest, up 23.6 per cent.

And that applies to cans

Statistics Canada lists seven types of canned goods (excluding fish), from baked beans to soup to peaches.

All of them had double-digit inflation rates in the last year. Increases have ranged from 27 to 71 per cent since 2019.

A significant amount of grocery inflation is coming from prepared products. This can also be seen in the consumer price index. In the last year, the CPI for preserved vegetables was up 10.9 per cent while fresh greens only rose 1.5 per cent.

Fresh fruit is up six per cent, while preserved fruit is up 16.9 per cent.

Saving on fresh produce does require careful planning. If you overbuy and the produce goes bad, you have lost your potential savings. An excess of frozen beans can just stay in the freezer.

Still, doing it right can save you some cash.

Switch up your salad

Lettuce prices are up in the last year. Romaine is up 17.7 per cent, while an iceberg lettuce could cost you 12.3 per cent more.

If you're looking for something raw to complement your meal, consider a few slices of cucumber and tomato. Prices for both have barely moved in the last year (cucumber is actually down a little).

This has the added advantage of not requiring any salad dressing, which is up 48.2 per cent since 2019.

Cabbage has always been and remains a bargain. Prices were up just 3.2 per cent in the last year, and they're actually nine per cent lower than in 2019.

A few things you might avoid

Here's a few items that, if you really feel you need them, you should wait for a sale:

• Whole chickens: up 48.4 per cent.
• Oranges: up 16.6 per cent.
• Flatbread and pita bread: up 19.3 per cent.
• Salsa: up 20.6 per cent.
• Peanut butter: up 19.3 per cent.

Navigating the grocery store aisles while looking for savings can be difficult, but there are signs that the worst is over.

Since March, the CPI for groceries has risen only 0.4 per cent.